Credit/Contact Hours

A class contact hour consists of 60 minutes with at least 50 minutes of scheduled instruction in a class, lab, lecture, test, examination, externship/internship, clinical or preceptorship experience. Occasionally, additional class contact hours may be required for class completion without additional credit.

Credit for most ECPI courses in degree and diploma programs in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Texas are calculated on a semester credit hours basis, using the following conversion:

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 15 lecture clock hours

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 30 laboratory clock hours

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 45 externship/internship, clinical or preceptorship clock hours

Credit for ECPI courses in practical nursing diploma programs in Virginia and South Carolina are calculated on a semester credit hours basis, using the following conversion:

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 30 lecture or laboratory clock hours

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 45 externship/internship, clinical or preceptorship clock hours

Credit for ECPI courses in practical nursing diploma programs in North Carolina are calculated on a semester credit hours basis, using the following conversion:

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 32 lecture or laboratory clock hours

One (1) semester credit hour is awarded for 48 externship/internship, clinical or preceptorship clock hours

 

BS to BSN Credit Hour Conversion

One (1) credit hour didactic is equivalent to 1 hour per week in the classroom.

One (1) credit hour laboratory is equivalent to 2 hours per week in the on-campus skills lab.

One (1) credit hour clinical is equivalent to 3 hours per week at a clinical site.

 

BS to BSN Unit of Credit/Academic Hour Definition

 

 

An academic hour or class is 50 minutes of instruction in a 60-minute period. Academic hours are converted to credit hours to allow for comparison with other post-secondary institutions.

One quarter credit hour equals 30 units, comprised of the following academic activities:

  • One clock hour in a didactic learning environment equals 2 units;
  • One clock hour in a supervised laboratory setting of instruction equals 1.5 units;
  • One hour of clinical equals 1 unit; and
  • One hour of out-of-class work and/or preparation designed to measure the student’s achieved competency, relative to the required subject matter objectives, equals 0.5 units.